Beer barrel and method of making the same



'2 Sheets-Sheet 1 "/6 w. E.-C OAKLE Y Fi'led Sept. 28. 1935 v ATTORNEY;

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April 21', 1936.

BEERBA'RREL AND METHOD OF MAKING THE- SAME A ril 21, 1936.

w. E. COAKLEY. BEER BARREL; AND METHOD OF MAKIl ING THE SAME Filed se i. 2e, 19253 2 Shets-Shet 2 Patented Apr. 21, 1 936 BEER. BARREL AND BIETHOD OF MAKING THE SAME William E. Coakley, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Pressed Steel Tank Company, West Allis, With, a corporation of Wisconsin Application September 28, 1933, Serial No. 691,323

' 9 Claims. (01. 29-162) This invention relates to an improvement in metal barrels particularly designed and adapted for use as a beer barrel or as a container for other similar beverages although also well adapted forother uses.

, The present invention also provides a novel method of making a metalbarrel of thischaracter.

The invention contemplates particularly the provision of a barrel structure made up of a plurality of closely interfitted and interengaged metal walls or shells. Such a structure lends itself to the use of an outer wall whose primaryfunction is to take the load and withstand the usage to which the barrel is put, and an inner wall of inert or non-corrosive metal such as aluminum alloy or other similar metal.

In carrying out the present invention, tub-like sections are simultaneously drawn from superposed sheets of metal as, for example, sheet of aluminum alloy superposed on a sheet of mild steel. The resulting tub-like section has its'inner and outer walls adhesively engaged and thus closely and intimately interfltted and held together. A pair of such tub-like sections are assembled in edge to edge relation and their edges are welded together to form the complete barrel body. The structure of a barrel is completed by applying to the barrel body so constituted, 0 end collars afiording chime structure, intermediate rolling and reinforcing hoops, and bung and tap fittings.

In this way, the present invention affords a barrel which may be readily, easily and economically manufactured of pressed or drawn metal parts, welded together in the assembly and presenting a simple and durable construction, reliable, durable and efiicientin use and easily handled and otherwise well adapted for its intended purposes.

Other objects and advantages reside in certain novel features of the construction, arrangement and combination of parts .which will be herein- 0 after more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which: Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in diametricalvertical section showing a barrel embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view in elevation showing the bung of the barrel;

Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating two superposed sheets prior'to the drawing operation which forms sheets;

a tub-like section from such Figure 4 is a perspective view'showing a. tublike section drawn from the superposed sheets of Figure-3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view partly in section and partly in elevation showing how the edges of the inner walls of a" pair of tub-like sections are welded together; and

Figure 6 is a similar view showing how the edges of the outerwalls are welded together.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figure 1, it will be seen that the metal barrel embodying the present invention comprises a pair of tub-like sections designated at I and 2.

The tub-like sections l and 2 are of identical construction and each is drawn or pressed from a pair of superposed sheets designated at 3and. 4 (see Figure 3). The sheet 3 may be of aluminum, aluminum alloy or other suitable non-corrosive or inert metal. For example, the use of stainless steel as the material for the sheet 3 is contemplated. The sheet 4 may be constituted pf mild steel or other suitable metal. The superposed sheets 3 and 4 are simultaneously drawn' in a press or the like to provide the tub-like structure illustrated in Figure 4, the tub-like structure having an outer peripheral wall 4 with which an end wall 4' is integral and also having an inner peripheral. wall 3* with which an end-wall 3 is integral. The walls 3 and 4 and 3 and 4 are pressed or forced into a close fit or permanent contact during the drawing operation and are thus efiectively united. The sheet 3 may be slightly larger than the sheet I so that its peripheral wall 3 has a portion .3

projecting slightly beyond the edge of the wall 4 when the tub-like section is formed.

A pair of such tub-like sections are brought together with the edges of their open ends in edge to edge relation, the edges of the projecting portions 3' abutting and the .edges of the peripheral walls 4 being slightly spaced as will be understood from Figure 5. The edges of portions 3 are then welded together as illustrated dia- At-the ends of the barrel, collars 6 and I are provided, the collars being fitted over their respective ends of the barrel and having portions projecting beyond the same. Welds ii and 9 securely fasten these collars in position. The outer end of each collar is rolled or beaded as at III. The upper annular collar 6 may be provided with a suitable number of openings II which form hand holds. If desired, drain openings may be formed in the beads Hi. It will be understood that the collars 6 and I afiord the structure of the barrel.

The end walls 3 and! of the upper section I are formed with. registering openings in which the shoulder ll of a standard tap fitting I5 is fitted. The lower pe'riphqal edge portion ofthis fitting is weldedas at IE to the end wall 4 of the upper section I. v

The meeting edges of the peripheral walls 3 and 4 of the upper and lower sections have complementary notches which together form a bung hole 11. In such notches the shouldered inner end ll of a bung bushing I9 is fittedand welded. The outer end of this bushing I9 is also shouldered so as to interfit with the central opening of a bridge or fixture plate 20. The marginal edge of this central opening is welded to the outer edge of the bung bushing I9. The periphery of the plate 20 is flanged as at 2|, and the flange 2| is welded as at 22 to the body of the shoulder. I

Above and below the bung, the sections l and 2 of the barrel are provided with rolling hoops designated generally at 20'. These rolling hoops are of annular form so as to extend about the periphery of the barrel and in cross section have the shape of flanged troughs, the bodies of which are designated at 2i and the flanges of which are designated at 22. The trough-like body portions 2| of these rolling hoops project outwardly from the periphery of the barrel body to such extent that their tread surfaces 20 which engage the ground or floor when the barrel is rolled are located outwardly beyond the bung structure thereby precluding engagement of the bung structure with the ground or floor when the barrelis rolled on the hoops. If desired, the rolling hoops may be formed with a suitable number of drain openings (not-shown).

It will be noted that the tub-like sections taper outwardly towards their open ends, this formation being given to them during their drawing operation or subsequent thereto so that in the assembly the barrel has a characteristic bilged formation.

While I have shown and describedmne construction in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that the construction shown has been selected merely for the purposes of illustration and'that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of the parts maybe made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. The herein described method of making a metal barrel which consists in superposing one sheet or metal upon another, drawing said superposed sheetsto form a tub-like section made up of inner and outer walls" pressed closely together, and weldingthe edges of the inner and outer walls at the open end of said section to the analogous edges of a similarly constructed section to provide a closed barrel structure.

2. The herein described-method of making a metal barrel which consists in superposing one sheet of metal upon another, drawing said superposed sheets to form a tub-like section made up of inner and outer walls pressed closely together, with the inner wall projecting slightly beyond the outer wall at the open end of, said section and successively welding the edges of the inner and outer walls of said section to analogous edges of a similarly constructed section to provide a closed barrel structure. i

3. The herein described method of making ,a metal barrel which consists in superposing one sheet of metal 'upon another, drawing said super-- posed sheets to form a tub-like section made up metal barrel which consists in simultaneously drawing a plurality of sheets of metal to produce a tub-section substantially multi-wall throughout and uniting the edges of a pair of such sections to form a barrel structure.

6. A barrel comprising two oppositely disposed tub-like sections, each section including substantially throughout inner and outer metallic wall members, one of which is a press fit in the other, and welds between the meeting edges of said tub-like sections, in combination with end collars welded to the sections and projecting beyond the same to provide chime structures.

7. A barrel comprisingtwo oppositely disposed tub-like sections, each section including substantially throughout inner and outer metallic wall members, one of which is a press fit in the other,

' welds between the meeting edges of said tub-like sections, in combination with end collars welded to the sections and projecting beyond the same to provide chime structures, and rolling hoops welded to the bodies of said sections between said end collars.

8. A barrel comprising two oppositely disposed tub-like sections, each section including substantially throughout inner and outer metallic wall members, one of which is a press fit in the other,

welds between the meeting edges oisaid tublike sections, in combination with end collars welded to the sections and projecting beyond the same to provide chime structures, rolling hoops welded to the bodies of said sections between said end collars, and a bung fitting connected with said sections intermediate said rolling hoops.

9. A barrel comprising two oppositely disposed tub-like sections, each section including substan- .tially' throughout inner and outer metallic wall 

